Archive for the ‘Marcella Hazan’ Category

The method here is very straightforward. The rabbit is stewed in practically nothing but its own juices and then simmered in white wine with a little rosemary and a touch of tomato. It’s a familiar northern Italian approach which draws out the delicate flavour of the rabbit while also maintaining its fine texture. It’s best to use farmed rabbit as it’s a softer meat than wild rabbit, which is more gamey.

1 If you’re using fresh rabbit rather than frozen, soak it in cold water for 12 hours or more and then rinse several times and pat dry. It can be refrigerated while it’s soaking.

2 Choose a deep, covered frying pan large enough to contain all the meat in a single layer. Add the oil, celery, garlic and rabbit. Cover and cook over a low heat for 2 hours. Turn the meat a few times, but do not leave uncovered.

3 After 2 hours, you will find that the rabbit has shed a great deal of liquid. Uncover the pan, turn up the heat to medium and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, turning the meat from time to time.

4 Add the wine, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until the wine has completely evaporated.

5 Dissolve the stock cube, tomato puree and sugar in 150ml of warm water, pour it over the rabbit and cook gently for another 12-15 minutes, turning and basting the rabbit two or three times. Serve immediately.

1. Put oil, 3 tablespoons butter and chopped onion in a heavy 3-½-quart pot and turn heat to medium. Cook and stir onion until it has become translucent, then add chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat well.

2. Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble meat with a fork, stir well and cook until beef has lost its raw, red color.

4. Add wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated. Add tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When tomatoes begin to bubble, turn heat down so that sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through the surface.

5. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it will begin to dry out and the fat will separate from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add ½ cup water as necessary. At the end of cooking, however, the water should be completely evaporated and the fat should separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.

6. Add remaining tablespoon butter to the hot pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side.